Final Call for Papers

Intro

PLE 2014 – the 5th International Conference on Personal Learning Environments – will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, from July 16th to 18th.

The PLE Conference intends to create an engaging, conversational, and innovative meeting space for researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, experiences, and research around PLE related themes.

The conference invites contributions in the format of “academic papers” or “alternative session proposals”. However, authors of both types of contributions will be asked to communicate their research and ideas within session formats that look to avoid the traditional 15 min presentation.

Conference theme

Beyond formal: emergent practices for living, learning and working

The 5th Edition of the PLE conference aims to move beyond discussions about definitions to explore emergent practices for living, learning and working in relation to PLEs and the new understandings and underlying needs that arise around these practices in our contemporary society. Delegates are invited to submit their ideas, research and/or practice under the topics listed below.

Topics include (but are not limited to)…

PLEs for managing life transitions

PLE and formal learning contexts: conflicts and confluences

PLE theoretical frameworks

PLE in early childhood and the family

PLE as literacy

PLE and portfolios

PLE and PLNs (Personal Learning Networks)

PLE and creative practice

PLEs in formal contexts (Schools, Vocational, Higher Education)

PLES in Lifelong Learning

The social PLE

Personal Learning and assessment

Digital footprints and identities

Ownership and agency

Emergent pedagogies and approaches

Innovative work-based learning and practices

PLEs and technologies

Personal learning and the creative economy

Future challenges in the PLE context

Invited types of contribution

We invite two main types of contribution: “academic papers” and “alternative session proposals”.

The PLE Conference has integrated both traditional and innovative formats since 2010, providing opportunities to present and publish high quality research in ways that stimulate creative collaboration and idea generation.

The academic communication process has two different branches. Publication, and presentation. The PLE Conference treats written submissions of academic work and the presentation of it as two totally different practices. For this reason the submission of full research papers is aimed to lead to publication in a refereed journal. However, research papers are also expected to be presented in dynamic and innovative ways to ensure that the conference is a lively and engaging space for interaction around the research that is presented.

The PLE 2014 Conference therefore welcomes two main kinds of submission:
a) the submission of full “academic papers” and
b) “alternative session proposals”. The latter may include a variety of types of interaction, such as workshops, poster sessions and demonstrations, installations, debates, cafe and pecha kucha sessions, etc. These must be presented with clear objectives and expected outcomes, and should be centred around research and practical experience.

In short, the PLE conference is especially looking for originality and relevance of ideas in both form and content. What we wish to encourage are interactive and engaging ways of exploring the research field together.

Submission and review process

Please make sure that you categorise your submission according to Venue (Tallinn) and Type. The submission form offers the following categories:
Tallinn Venue : Academic Paper
Tallinn Venue : Alternative Session Proposal

Guidelines for the submission of Academic Papers

The extended abstract for academic papers should not be longer than 700 words. It should provide an overview of your research, following an abstract protocol.

Only upon notification of acceptance, authors will be asked to submit a full academic paper no later than June 16th, 2014. Guidelines regarding the layout of the paper are provided below. (A template will be provided shortly). [we decided against this]

Title
Titles should be informative and stimulate interest.

Abstract
Articles must include an abstract of 300 words providing sufficient information about the research.

Section headings
Use a maximum of three levels of headings. Do not number the headings.

Figures
Figures, graphics, and/or images should be at least 300 dpi.

It is the author’s responsibility to ensure figures, graphics and/or images used in his/her paper are cleared of copyright and/or that she has the rights from the copyright holder to reproduce those figures, graphics and images. When figures, graphics, and images are reproduced, a parenthesis should be added to the figure legend stating the following: (Reproduced with permission from xxx.)

References
References should follow APA style.

Length
Academic papers should not be longer than 8000 words including tables, captions, and references.

Guidelines for the submission of Alternative Session Proposals

The extended abstract for an alternative session should not be longer than 500 words. It should provide an overview of the session format, its objectives, and expected outcomes. It should follow an abstract protocol.

Pre-conference activities

Should you be interested in organising pre-conference activities such as workshops, project meetings, and so forth, feel free to get in contact with the local organising chair for either Kuala Lumpur or Tallinn.

Publication of contributions

Conference Proceedings
The PLE Conference is committed to an open publication model for conference contributions. By submitting a proposal to PLE 2014, authors agree that they or their employer retain copyright, but that contributions – if published – will be licensed for use with a CC License – http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync- sa/3.0/

Journals
Selected academic papers will be proposed for publication in Open Access Academic Journals with which the PLE Conference has established a partnership. Further information will be available soon.